Police Foil Major Terrorist Attack in North

Police in Afula, between the Mediterranean Coast and Sea of Galilee, prevented a major terror attack by a knife-wielding Arab sent “to kill Jews.”

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

First Publish: 4/27/2010, 8:20 AM

Police in Afula, located between the Mediterranean Coast and Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), prevented a major terror attack by a knife-wielding Arab from Samaria who was sent “to kill Jews.”

The attempt at came as the Palestinian Authority is engaged in promoting an image in what so far is a losing battle to convince the Arab population to use non-violent methods as part of a new “white Intifada.” The Arab "man in the street" was believed by Israeli proponents of the Oslo Accords, such as President Shimon Peres, to be willing to be a good neighbor, raise his family in peace and benefit from economic cooperation.

An alert guard at the Afula police station spotted the suspicious-looking 17-year-old around 2:00 a.m., and he immediately pounced on the suspect after he said he was sent “to kill Jews.” No one was injured during the arrest.

“I do not want to think what would have happened if the terrorist had carried out an attack,” said Afula police officer Aryeh El-Kobi. He said that an investigation is being carried out, but that it appears a terrorist cell was behind the planned attack.

Initial questioning revealed that the youth left nearby Samaria several days ago and was in the Lower Galilee-Jezreel Valley area without a permit. He entered Afula several hours before wandering to the police station, where he may have arrived after being too frightened to carry out his mission of murder.

Afula’s bus station is a major hub for traffic from Tel Aviv and Haifa, and from the Galilee and Golan Heights to the north, as well as from Beit She’an and the Jordan Valley region to the east.

Palestinian Authority officials recently held a “non-violence” conference in Ramallah to encourage a “white Intifada” after two violent uprisings in the late 1980s through the early 90s and since 2000, in what also is known as the Oslo War, did not achieve their goal.

Martin Luther King III addressed the conference and spoke about his slain father’s concept of non-violence. After hearing speeches by PA Arabs, he noted, “I am very optimistic, but I also know that we still have a long way to go."

PA efforts and world media reports are focused on the weekly demonstrations at the security/separation barrier at Bi'ilin and Na'alin, but on a day-to-day basis, potentially lethal stone throwing and firebomb attacks continue as well as attempted knife attacks, which have become routine at the Patriarchs’ Cave in Hevron.